Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur
Kundapur, Oct 15: In a tragic incident, three schoolboys drowned while another managed to escape when they ventured into the sea for a swim at Hosahitlu beach in Kirimanjeshwara village, Udupi district, on Tuesday evening.
The deceased have been identified as Sanketh (16), Suraj (15), and Ashish (14), all residents of the local area. Their bodies were later recovered. According to reports, the boys had gone to the beach to play and swim when they were caught by strong waves. One boy survived the mishap.

This is the third beach tragedy reported within a month in the Kundapur region, raising serious concern among locals about the growing number of such incidents along the coastal belt.
Earlier, on September 7, three students from Bengaluru drowned at Charkikadu beach in Gopady, while one was rescued. On October 3, two students from Bengaluru who were swept away near the Maraswami temple beach at Maravanthe were saved by KND personnel.
Tuesday’s tragedy adds to a worrying pattern — in the past four years, 11 youngsters between the ages of 14 and 25 have lost their lives to drowning at beaches in Kundapur and Byndoor taluks.
On December 7, 2024, two brothers from Ampare village drowned at Kodi beach while another survived. Earlier, on August 25, two youths from Bengaluru who had come for a wedding drowned at Beejadi beach, and one managed to escape. In June 2023, a youth from Tiptur lost his life at Beejadi beach, while in April 2022, locals rescued three youths from drowning at Kodi beach.
Public opinion suggests that such tragedies often occur when youngsters underestimate the sea’s strength while playing or swimming, unaware of the tidal patterns. Locals have urged parents and elders to be more vigilant and ensure supervision when children visit the beaches to prevent further loss of young lives.